Ava’s POV
The air in the hallway had shifted—heavier, denser, like the weight of a storm pressing in before it broke. Sage stood at the far end, blocking Diego’s path, his shoulders squared in a way that meant he wasn’t moving until he’d said his piece.
Diego didn’t seem bothered. In fact, the way he leaned slightly to one side, his hands loose at his sides, looked almost amused.
I was halfway tucked behind a column, the thin carved wood doing little to conceal me, but I didn’t dare step out just yet. Something in Sage’s expression told me this wasn’t going to be the usual stiff pleasantries.
“I know you’re a powerful man,” Sage began, his tone calm, respectful, but laced with steel,
"And I mean no disrespect, but I’m going to be direct."
Diego tilted his head, almost like he was in
